Coping with Study Stress
Exam time finds students stressed out but also creative in their array of coping techniques. A few of them agreed to share their methodology:
Julie Pfahler ’09
I make lots and lots and lots of lists of what I need to do. I also avoid the library completely if at all possible. (Stressed-out MoHos in the library are … constantly breaking down and proclaiming failure, making those they encounter feel doomed as well.) I go to get books and then leave.
Maria Lena Garrettson ’10
I like to dress nice and put makeup on for an exam, just to feel good about myself. I also like to get a lot of sleep and a good breakfast. I know that if I’m tired I won’t function, and if I’m hungry I’ll think about that more than the exam.
Jemilatu Abdulai ’09
Music! I study best with music ... and I also need a semi-active environment to study in. I don’t do well in very quiet rooms.
I try to get as much sleep as possible.
Piper O’Sullivan’08
I always need a bottle of Coca-Cola from Blanchard. Or really cold ice water.
Marcia Schenck ’09
I just look for quiet places to get my work done. I take walks around Upper Lake and “Skype” with my friends in Germany who are not in the same crunch-time mindset. I enjoy dinners with friends.
<Above, friends take a giggle break while studying in the library. Top photo: Dana Capasso ’09 gets to work before final exams. Photos by Paul Schnaittacher>
Liz Brennan ’09
Before reading days, I frequent the library’s sixth-floor stacks. I have one particular table where I always sit, looking out to the Village Commons. Often when I start studying, I’ll pick one compact disc to listen to over and over again. If I can take the exam in the same room as the class, I’ll sit where I normally sit.
Aleefia Somji ’09
When studying for an exam, I can’t study in one place for more than a few hours. I also generally need food or something to snack on. I make sure I sleep lots, and I always use a pencil to underline all my notes. I write down things to memorize on another piece of paper, and make sure I look at those before the exam.
